Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency - an Actor in National Security?

Authors

Mikael Lohse, Ministry of the Interior, FinlandFollow

Author Biography

Doctor of Law Mikael Lohse is a ministerial adviser in the Ministry of the Interior of Finland. He is currently on a leave of absence and an independent researcher and non-fiction writer in Paris. His research interests include security studies and national security law.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.13.2.1799

Subject Area Keywords

Defense policy, Intelligence studies/education, National power, National security

Abstract

One disparate feature between Finnish civilian and military intelligence is their express relationship to national security. The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service prominently declares to be an expert in national security whereas no corresponding public territorial claim has been made by its counterpart – the Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency (FDIA). This observation leads to the question: are the tasks of the FDIA limited solely to the military defence of Finland or has it any more comprehensive role in safeguarding national security. This article aims to examine this question by comparing the provisions governing the purpose of civilian and military intelligence and analysing the provision on the targets of military intelligence. Legal analysis indicate that military intelligence targets are broadly located in the field on national security, both at the core of military activities and in the outer reaches on non-military activities. The FDIA actually has a wide mandate which extends its mission beyond the reaches of civilian intelligence.

Recommended Citation

Lohse, Mikael. "Finnish Defence Intelligence Agency - an Actor in National Security?." Journal of Strategic Security 13, no. 2 (2020) : 107-120.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.13.2.1799
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol13/iss2/7